5 Simple Ways You Can Make Your Own Fidget Spinner

Do you know that the Fidget Spinner was invented in 1997? Or that the inventor held the patent for the toy for 8 years before she had to surrender it due to lack of funds? The world might be going crazy over this addictive, spinning toy but sadly Catherine Hettinger, the real inventor behind it, doesn’t even get a cent from its recent popularity as a must-have toy.

Almost 20 years after Catherine came up with the idea of the Fidget Spinner, the toy has spread like wildfire around the world. Now, everybody wants in on the next big toy-craze and it has also been debated if the toy could help children with ADHD.

Nobody can say for sure why it took two decades for the toy to come out of the shadows, but one thing is for sure, it is here to stay for a while. Everybody wants to get their hands on it.

Fortunately, making a Fidget Spinner yourself isn’t that hard. Here are a couple of DIY techniques that can help you create a Fidget Spinner in under an hour.

1. DIY Fidget Spinner without Bearings

The simplest of the Fidget Spinners you can make is without using any bearings. It won’t spin as perfectly as a spinner with a bearing but it still works good enough as a fun project. Everything you need to make this can be bought from a stationary store and will take you barely 10-15 minutes to put together.

TIME: 5-10 minutes

REQUIREMENTS

Paper Clip

Thumb Pin / Push Pin

Note Cards

Notebook / Cardboard

Scissors

Glue

2. LEGO Fidget Spinner

You can also make a Fidget Spinner completely out of LEGOs, and an axle. Like the one without bearings above, it won’t spin as long but it still gives a satisfying spin.

TIME: 5 minutes

REQUIREMENTS

An axle that is 3 studs long with a stud on the end.

Lego Blocks

You can refer to this guide to create a fully functioning LEGO Fidget Spinner.

3. Fidget Spinner using a Bike Chain

If you are planning to go one step further, you can make an amazingly cool looking fidget spinner using a bike chain!

TIME: 2 minutes

REQUIREMENTS:

Bike Chain (22 links)

2 Zip Ties

Bearing

Bolt

Nut

4. LED Fidget Spinner

How about a spinner that looks like a spinning ring of light? All you need is a few LED bike lights and stick them to a bearing and you’re good to go.

TIME: 5 minutes

REQUIREMENTS:

Bearing

Nut

Bolt

LED Lights

Glue

5. DIY Fidget Spinners from Popsicle Sticks

You can also fashion a pretty slick fidget spinner using a few dozen Popsicle sticks and then use coins as counterweights.